13C NMR spectroscopy of 4,5- and 5,6-double bond isomers of spiro-3-steroidal ketone derivatives : The determination of the structures of steroidal thiazolidines

The thiazolidine isomers obtained upon the reaction of aminoethanethiols with α,β-unsaturated steroidal ketones were found to be double bond positional isomers based on their optical rotations and ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectra. The ¹³C NMR spectra of analogous ketals, hemithioketals and a thioketal of steroidal ketones were also reported, and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy was shown to be a convenient method of assigning the position of the double bond in the double bond isomers for all four of these derivatives. Finally, ¹³C NMR spectroscopy was found to be useful in determining that thiazolidine formation was stereospecific to give only one C-3-isomer.